Malfuzat - Volume IX — Page 484
Malf uza t - English translation of Urdu Volume 9 484 orphan. This was a difficult trial. Only God knows what pains he bore. Then a mountain of calamities fell upon him as soon as he made his claim. Keep in mind! Another title for the Prophets is the People of Trials and Tests. No Prophet has been without trials. It is in one narration that eleven sons of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had died. Then, besides the Prophets, observe Imam Husain ra , what diverse forms of diffi- culties he faced! How frightening was the trial he underwent in his final hour. It is written that at the time his age was 57 years and there were only a few men with him. When sixteen or seventeen of his men had been killed and all kinds of distress and helplessness were faced, he then was deprived of drinking water, and such tyranny was unleashed that even the women and children were attacked, and people spoke out that no sense of shame and honour remained within the Arabs of the time. Now observe that even their women and children were mur- dered, and this all was to give them [spiritual] ranks. The ignorant will say that they were sinful and wicked. Hence, this difficulty befell them, but they ought to remem- ber that no rank can be attained through ease. The people who continue to focus on one aspect alone and do not desire to be patient during trials and tests, there is danger that they may abandon faith altogether as the Shiah people, who neither see the reality that is attained after tests and trials, nor do they care about it but continue to mourn and do not leave this custom. Did Imam Husain ra bequeath them to continue this mourning after him? Remember, however many saints and Allah’s belov- eds who have passed, they were bitterly tested, and what tran- spired with the earlier ones is a lesson for those who shall follow. This is a grave mistake that on the one hand man desires every kind of ease and comfort, and all means of pleasure be available to him, and on the other hand, he desires to become